# Corn Cob Pipes Q&A, insights, anecdotes



## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Thought I'd get a thread rolling about cobs, where you can post questions, share experiences and stories, tips on use, cleaning, repair, hot tips on where to get interesting and unusual pipes, and so forth. Anything relevant.

To open the discussion, I'll share a technique I use to tighten an acrylic stem, which on Missouri Meerschaums seems an issue, as I've had many come loose after a little while, and even a couple that arrived loose when new.

The tenons on vulcanite stems can be heat-widened without warping the shape too much, but not so with plastic. The solution I use is:

*Remove stem and clean it of tars and other gunk
*Apply thin layers of clear acrylic nail hardener (check beauty supply section of a drug store) around the tenon and let it dry completely for about a day
*Push the stem back into the pipe to check for tightness. If it's still loose, keep applying layers of the hardener one at a time until the fit becomes snug. 

I have not had any trouble with it out-gassing chemical flavors into the smoke, and the fix lasts a long time. It doesn't melt and glue the stem in, so it's still easy to take apart and clean.

Next tip: If the shank comes loose from the cob bowl, you can use Elmer's wood glue to reset it. From what I have read, that is the kind of glue Missouri Meerschaum uses to construct their cobs, and it is considered safe and non-toxic.


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## Er999 (May 31, 2013)

Nice, I'll definitely keep that in mind. Now...just need to wait for someone to chime in on cleaning cob pipes....(hint hint nudge nudge)


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

First step for me is, get it a Forever stem.


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## tmoran (Mar 25, 2014)

Herf N Turf said:


> First step for me is, get it a Forever stem.


I just ordered my first two this weekend. Looking forward to trying them out.


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## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Herf N Turf said:


> First step for me is, get it a Forever stem.


I've got a churchwarden forever stem on a MM Mark Twain. Terrific quality stems, and they look great on a cob.


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## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Er999 said:


> Nice, I'll definitely keep that in mind. Now...just need to wait for someone to chime in on cleaning cob pipes....(hint hint nudge nudge)


I have used a reamer and sandpaper with good results, afterward wiping out the inside of the bowl with pipe cleaner or alcohol.


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## Er999 (May 31, 2013)

cpmcdill said:


> I have used a reamer and sandpaper with good results, afterward wiping out the inside of the bowl with pipe cleaner or alcohol.


Can any alcohol do or is there a group that "performs" better than most?


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## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Er999 said:


> Can any alcohol do or is there a group that "performs" better than most?


Best to use drinkable alcohol, the higher the proof the better (Everclear is popular and performs best). I've seen the claim that denatured alcohol is okay, but I'd rather use booze. Some folks like rum or whiskey for the way it lends a slight flavor to the first few smokes thereafter.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Er999 said:


> Can any alcohol do or is there a group that "performs" better than most?


My local B&M uses bourbon to "condition" the pipes they sell to preferred customers. They ream the stem and treat all connections and bowl surface with a soaked Q-tip. They've been doing this since 1912, so there may be something to it :dunno:


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## Er999 (May 31, 2013)

cpmcdill said:


> Best to use drinkable alcohol, the higher the proof the better (Everclear is popular and performs best). I've seen the claim that denatured alcohol is okay, but I'd rather use booze. Some folks like rum or whiskey for the way it lends a slight flavor to the first few smokes thereafter.





Herf N Turf said:


> My local B&M uses bourbon to "condition" the pipes they sell to preferred customers. They ream the stem and treat all connections and bowl surface with a soaked Q-tip. They've been doing this since 1912, so there may be something to it :dunno:


Got it thanks, and since I _love_ rum....:whoo:


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## Emperor Zurg (May 6, 2013)

Er999 said:


> Got it thanks, and since I _love_ rum....:whoo:


I posted this a while ago on the subject --> http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/331964-rum-ghosting-cob.html


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## Er999 (May 31, 2013)

Emperor Zurg said:


> I posted this a while ago on the subject --> http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/331964-rum-ghosting-cob.html


Hmm, I'd forgotten about that thread.... I will keep that in mind...(hmm, maybe the patriot cob...)


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## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Cob-related: Rustic pipes made from locally available materials. Naturally the cob is the quintessential American "farmer pipe" and perhaps the cherry-wood is that of France.

In the east they use local materials, and the strangest looking one I've encountered is the bamboo root pipe of the Karen Hill people of Thailand. Fascinating to look at though. The ebay seller has a number of these for sale, and other exotic pipes.










Unusual Old Karen Hill Tribe Bamboo Roots Smoking Pipe | eBay


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

cpmcdill said:


> Cob-related: Rustic pipes made from locally available materials. Naturally the cob is the quintessential American "farmer pipe" and perhaps the cherry-wood is that of France.
> 
> In the east they use local materials, and the strangest looking one I've encountered is the bamboo root pipe of the Karen Hill people of Thailand. Fascinating to look at though. The ebay seller has a number of these for sale, and other exotic pipes.


Thanks for posting this, but it looks WAY too much like a diseased kidney for me to put my mouth around. :lol:


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## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Herf N Turf said:


> Thanks for posting this, but it looks WAY too much like a diseased kidney for me to put my mouth around. :lol:


When I see them, what comes to mind is the nether end of some kind of giant beetle larva.


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## Bruck (Jan 8, 2013)

Well, this thread sure took an interesting turn


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## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Bruck said:


> Well, this thread sure took an interesting turn


Sometimes a scenic detour is just what the doctor ordered. And now, :focus::whip:


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

Bought this MM with a lucite stem on Ebay from a seller named "farmerje". It looks like a General but it has a nice burnished finish that I've not seen before in a stock MM.


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## dgerwin11 (Jun 19, 2011)

I have not added a new cob to the arsenal in a few years. I just like them better after some "seasoning". With proper care they can last quite a few year. In a nutshell, here is my cob care advice.
Corncob Pipe Care | DGE Handmade Pipes & Manly Things


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

haebar said:


> Bought this MM with a lucite stem on Ebay from a seller named "farmerje". It looks like a General but it has a nice burnished finish that I've not seen before in a stock MM.
> 
> View attachment 51375


I've seen those listings and was curious about them. More than anything I'm interested in whether the way he colors them effects how the bowl breathes? I'd hate to have a cob that got hot.


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

Tobias Lutz said:


> I've seen those listings and was curious about them. More than anything I'm interested in whether the way he colors them effects how the bowl breathes? I'd hate to have a cob that got hot.


I was thinking the same thing. Haven't smoked it yet, but it has a substantial coat of wax on the bowl and shank.


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## Emperor Zurg (May 6, 2013)

Of my cobs, I hate to say but the ones I prefer to smoke are the ones without any bowl finish whatsoever - just the natural chaff, no color, no plaster or anything - to the point I'm tempted to order a special, natural finish Country Gentleman to make into one of my Glass Sipper pipes. The naturals just seem to do everything a little better. That and they never get even remotely hot to the touch because your fingers only contact the tips of the chaff.


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

Emperor Zurg said:


> Of my cobs, I hate to say but the ones I prefer to smoke are the ones without any bowl finish whatsoever - just the natural chaff, no color, no plaster or anything - to the point I'm tempted to order a special, natural finish Country Gentleman to make into one of my Glass Sipper pipes. *The naturals just seem to do everything a little better.* That and they never get even remotely hot to the touch because your fingers only contact the tips of the chaff.


I think this is why you rarely hear anyone complain about the MM "seconds". They are generally the natural finish, which many will say is the homeliest anyhow, but they smoke so well!


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## Branzig (Jul 14, 2013)

Emperor Zurg said:


> Of my cobs, I hate to say but the ones I prefer to smoke are the ones without any bowl finish whatsoever - just the natural chaff, no color, no plaster or anything - to the point I'm tempted to order a special, natural finish Country Gentleman to make into one of my Glass Sipper pipes. The naturals just seem to do everything a little better. That and they never get even remotely hot to the touch because your fingers only contact the tips of the chaff.





Tobias Lutz said:


> I think this is why you rarely hear anyone complain about the MM "seconds". They are generally the natural finish, which many will say is the homeliest anyhow, but they smoke so well!


I have to agree with both of you. Nothing smokes quite as well as a naked cob. Unless I am after a certain style, I only buy the 2nds bag of cobs now. Sure, you don't get to choose what you get and the price cut isn't super great, but they are all natural and smoke like champs. Have never gotten a dud form a 2nds bag either.


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

How do you decide when to toss a corn cob pipe?


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## Branzig (Jul 14, 2013)

haebar said:


> How do you decide when to toss a corn cob pipe?


When I burn a hole through it :lol:

On a serious note, a lot of cobs last a really long time. I don't toss mine at all unless I screw it up or ghost the sucker with some bad combo or lakelands.


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## Er999 (May 31, 2013)

Branzig said:


> When I burn a hole through it :lol:
> 
> On a serious note, a lot of cobs last a really long time. I don't toss mine at all unless I screw it up or ghost the sucker with some bad combo or lakelands.


And when do you know that you have ghosted the sucker? :cheeky: oke: :biggrin:


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

I had one burn through near the shank junction but it was because I was smoking the bowl down too deep. I had another that I smoked so long that it had darkened like a meerschaum and the plaster fill was bulging out in places. I retired it out of respect.


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## Branzig (Jul 14, 2013)

Er999 said:


> And when do you know that you have ghosted the sucker? :cheeky: oke: :biggrin:


When the sucker starts to taste like a lavender flavored lolipop :tease:


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## Tony78 (Oct 20, 2012)

Do you use a filter in your cob?
If you use a filter what kind? paper / balsa / other?
If no filter... use pipe as-is / converter / foverver filterless stem?


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## haebar (Jun 9, 2012)

Tony78 said:


> Do you use a filter in your cob?
> If you use a filter what kind? paper / balsa / other?
> If no filter... use pipe as-is / converter / foverver filterless stem?


I don't use a filter. I bought a couple of forever stems, a bent and a straight, that I swap around with my corn cobs.


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

Tony78 said:


> Do you use a filter in your cob?
> If you use a filter what kind? paper / balsa / other?
> If no filter... use pipe as-is / converter / foverver filterless stem?


No filters. 3 have Forever stems, the other 6 or 7 have stock stems.


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## Er999 (May 31, 2013)

Branzig said:


> When the sucker starts to taste like a lavender flavored lolipop :tease:


:rofl: ound: ...lavender.... ound: I sense a story there and I don't want to know.:lol:


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## Branzig (Jul 14, 2013)

Er999 said:


> :rofl: ound: ...lavender.... ound: I sense a story there and I don't want to know.:lol:


Have you never bombed a pipe with Ennerdale or Kendal Flake before?

It makes your pipe taste and smell like a cross between a urinal cake and your grandmother's perfume :lol:


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## Er999 (May 31, 2013)

Branzig said:


> Have you never bombed a pipe with Ennerdale or Kendal Flake before?
> 
> It makes your pipe taste and smell like a cross between a urinal cake and your grandmother's perfume :lol:


....:shock:....uh... Not going to answer to the ennerdale  and I think that I have Kendal cream flake or something similar...now I need to go compare tobaky blends and stuff...:bolt: 
thanks for the heads up, cuz now I know to use a cob that is practically on its lasts legs (or a crap cob) when I smoke either blends. :cheeky: :biggrin:


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